Without My Heart
by SaraSoul
Summary: (This is an updated verison of 'I miss you' only chapter one is mostly the same?) When Max dies on their wedding day Fang is left to cope without her. What do you do when the one thing keeping you alive is gone though? What happens when the flock needs him to be strong but he no longer has his heart? He no longer has Max...
1. The Last Wedding

_Tears stung Max's eyes she twirled her engagement ring on her finger. So what if it wasn't real, he gave it to her. She looked up as the veil was put over her face hiding the tears of joy. _

"_You ready Max." asked Jeb and he hooked his arm in hers as the oak double doors swung open. She took the first slow step to the rest of her life with Fang. She glanced around at the hundreds of Flock supporters here with cameras and smiles to witness the wedding on the decade. Her wedding to Fang, the man of her dreams was finally happening. She looked up at him and their eyes locked in place her heart doing a flip._

_When they finally reached the isle Jeb kissed her forehead and whispered "You and the flock did great. I never would have believed that I would be giving away my little girl at her wedding." Tears spilled down his face as he watched Max walk up and give her bouquet to Nudge to hold resting her hands in Fang's. The priest cleared his throat to begin. _

_"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to witness the holy matrimony of Maximum Ride and Fang Ride." The priest boomed out into the over crowded church, but neither Fang nor Max heard anything he said. Their eyes were locked and even though the room was crowded they were the only two people in it. Gazzy had to kick the back of Fang's leg to get his attention. _

"_Max, you're my princess, my heart, my light at the end of the tunnel. Without you I would be dead. Without you I would be without love. I am glad to be able to call you mine after all we have been through. You are my best friend, my partner, my soul mate, and soon to be my wife." Fang said letting the words flow freely through his heart. He poured his soul into his vows in an effort to make them even a fraction of what he felt for Max._

"_Fang, with you I see all I am and all I can be. You take away my pain and you protect me with your life. You are all I need to have in my life. You are my best friend, my partner, and with you I know my future is bright. I love you Fang." Max said in a half whisper her eyes never leaving Fangs. _

_"Do you Fang, take Max as your lawful wedded wife, forever to hold, through sickness and in health, for better or worse till death do you part?" The priest boomed over the awing crowd of people. _

_Fang smiles and looked at Max like she was the only one in the world. "I do."_

_"Do you Max, take Fang as your lawful wedded husband, forever to hold, through sickness and in health, for better or worse till death do you part?"_

_She looked at Fang tears spilling out of her eyes, "I do." Max said firmly. Fang pulled her close, dipped her and kissed her softly and passionately. _

"_I love you Max." He lifted her up twirled her then set her down. They turned toward the doors smiling. _

_"You ready?" he asked tearing his eyes away from her and toward the doors to late._

_ A gun shot rung around the chapel the director was standing there with a gun in his hand. Everything went in slow motion as Max's body crumpled to the floor un moving. Fangs eyes went wide he sank down beside her. _

_"Max wake up..." Fang pleads, he can't help but to let out a cry as he pulled her crumpled body into his arms. Her ivory dress was soaked through with her blood as her eyes stared at him the life leaving them._ _She lifted a bloody hand toward his face. He grabs it and holds it to him. Everyone fades out and it becomes just them again as her heart beat fades slowly her breathing becoming shallow. _

_"I-I am…s-sorry." She manages to choke out laying her head against his chest while her eyes close. Fang looks down at his angel quickly dying in his arms as tears hit her cheek. _

_"Please don't leave me Max." He whispers his stone heart breaking at the thought of losing her. His voice was breaking with worry and love for the woman he held in his arms. _

"_I l-lo-love y-you." She whispered to Fang with her last breath going limp in his arms her head against his chest. Fang couldn't say I love you back in time, in fact he couldn't say or do anything except sit there holding onto Max as he watched the light of his life go out._


	2. The Funeral

Fang's eyes had always been cold but now they were lifeless orbs. It was even more of a heartbreaking sight to the funeral goers than Max's cold body laying in the casket next to where Fang stood. At least she looked like she was peacefully sleeping, in the midst of a wonderful dream. Sadly though Max would never wake up from this dream.

It wasn't just his mental health the flock was worried about but his physical health. In the three days since Max died Fang hadn't spoken or eaten anything. Fang was a shell shocked walking zombie, which terrified the whole flock, and their extended family. If Max was still alive she could snap him out of this, but if Max was alive he wouldn't be like this anyway. No they would be sitting side by side on a beach in Hawaii watching the waves roll in from the ocean as they sat hand in hand on their honeymoon. Fang would give her a rare smile and Max would lean in to kiss him, but any plans, no dreams, like that had died with Max.

The church they were just three days ago, although it felt like a lifetime, married in was now the scene of Max's funeral. The solemn air held none of vibrancy that drifted through the old stone church days earlier. Everything about it now seemed dreary and depressing the old oak doors seemed darker, the worn down stones seemed bleaker as if no light shone off them, even the bright stain glass windows seemed dull and dusty. In fact the only indication that the whole Earth wasn't in mourning was the blue sunny sky above. The same sky that Max would never glide through again with her wings spread out like she had so many times before.

The funeral was short and bitter sweet, Max would have approved. There wasn't any prayers said, Max wouldn't have liked of that. Just a few poems said and many memories told of the strong brave woman who died too young. Fang was the last one to speak to the hushed crowd.

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." Fang says with a rough shaky voice full of a bitter sadness. Everyone sat there unmoving for what felt like forever until they silently ushered out of the church. Only close friends and family of Max would be at the grave sight to say final goodbyes, as it should be.

The outside everyone of the Flock members looked around almost lost, and without Max lost was a great way to describe them. Angel slipped her smaller hand in Fang's who squeezed it, he was reassuring her that it was alright even though he didn't believe that himself. Angel had always been like a daughter to Max and himself so naturally they hadn't given it a second thought when they adopted her, and to their delightful surprise she started calling them mom and dad. They were a perfect little family until Max was wretched from them in a heart shattering tragedy.

No one spoke getting into the limo, not even Nudge made a sound, and the silence carried through all the way to the graveyard. The only sound heard everyone once in a while were Angel's muffled sobs as she kept her head buried deep in Fang's chest. Fang showed no emotion but held Angel close in his arms letting her cry while he absentmindedly stroked her hair. Unlike Max he wasn't a leader, and held no words of comfort, without Max they were lost.

At the burial sight everyone placed a single white rose on Max's closed casket, everyone except Fang who placed a single red rose on top of everyone else's. The priest said a few short and simple words, but they weren't ones that Max would approve of to describe her. Fang kept his arm around Angel, who's sobs now openly racked her body as they watched Max's casket lowered into the ground. No one said anything as they left the all to sunny graveyard, there were no more words left to be spoken.


End file.
